The state-run Bases
Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the U.S. Embassy have
recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that formalizes the
pact between the Philippines and the United States on the upkeep of the
Clark Veterans Cemetery (CVC) in Pampanga.
The MOU signing by BCDA president and
CEO Arnel Paciano D. Casanova and United States Ambassador to the
Philippines Philip Goldberg was witnessed by Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) Secretary Albert del Rosario at the DFA headquarters in
Manila.
The seven-hectare CVC was established in
1947 as a final resting place for American veterans and Filipino
scouts. It is said to contain the remains of more than 8,600 US
servicemen, Filipino scouts and their dependents. After Mt. Pinatubo
erupted in 1991, Clark Air Base was abandoned along with the CVC. While
attempts had been made by volunteers to restore the cemetery without US
assistance, the MOU sets the stage for CVC’s full restoration.
Under the agreement, the US will provide
a $5 million fund for the rehabilitation of CVC, while the Philippine
government, through the BCDA, maintains ownership of the land.
BCDA president and CEO stressed the
importance of the cemetery, saying that “it is but fitting and honorable
to remember those who have fought for our freedom, our liberty and our
democracy, [and] we are honored to stand side by side with the US
government in upholding these ideals.”
For his part, Ambassador Goldberg said
that the MOU will pave the way for the long-term maintenance of CVC, and
noted the importance of the cemetery in honoring American and Filipino
war heroes.
“Many men and women have answered the
call to defend the values that we cherish, and many have willingly
offered their lives for the good of countless others,” he said. “Those
interred [at CVC] served faithfully and honorably for their countries,
and their service and sacrifices will always be remembered.”
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